Sell a silver Helvetia
Swiss small change with the standing Helvetia: ½, 1 and 2 francs, in 835 silver up to and including 1967. A familiar coin from holidays and estates.
- Purity
- 835‰
- Country
- Switzerland
- Silver rate
- €1.75/g
What do we pay for a silver Helvetia (½, 1 and 2 franc)?
Based on the silver rate of this moment, €1.75 per gram of fine material. As of:
| Variant | Fine silver | Total weight | We pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 francs | 8.35 g | 10 g | €14.00 |
| 1 franc | 4.175 g | 5 g | €7.00 |
| ½ franc | 2.088 g | 2.5 g | €3.50 |
This price applies regardless of the year and the mint. With a rare year or exceptional condition the collector’s value can be higher than the material value – then we say so, even if that means you are better off not selling us the coin.
How we arrive at this amount
A coin is precious metal in a recognisable shape. What it fetches therefore depends almost entirely on the fine weight: the weight of pure silver it contains.
This coin is 835‰ pure. The rest of the alloy – usually copper – makes it harder and scratch-resistant, but has no value. That is why we calculate on the fine weight and not on what the scales say.
The standing Helvetia stayed on Swiss small change for almost a century. Silver up to and including 1967; from 1968 the same coin is copper-nickel.
Not sure whether your coin is genuine? We check weight, diameter, thickness and – if in doubt – the density with X-ray analysis. Non-destructive: your coin stays intact.
Also have a look at today’s silver rate or all silver prices.
Silver up to and including 1967
The design with the standing Helvetia and the shield has stayed almost unchanged from the 1870s to the present. In 1968 Switzerland switched to copper-nickel, because the silver had become worth more than the coin. So only the date shows whether you are holding silver.
Sorting and weighing
We pick the silver pieces out of a pile of Swiss change and weigh them together. A franc weighs 5 grams and contains 4.175 grams of fine silver; the half and double franc in proportion.
A few old years in good condition are sought after. The valuer looks at those separately.
How to sell your silver Helvetia (½, 1 and 2 franc)
From walking in to being paid usually takes less than half an hour.
Do not polish it
With collector coins, cleaning can push the value down considerably. A natural patina belongs to them.
Bring it in
With or without an appointment, at one of our 45 locations. If the coin is in a holder, leave it in there.
We assess two values
The precious metal and what the coin itself does: year, mintage and condition. You get the higher of the two.
Paid out straight away
In cash or by bank transfer. Larger amounts reach your account within 24 hours.
Also of interest
- Silver rate todayThe current silver rate per gram and per kilo, updated every minute.View
- All silver pricesWhat we pay per carat or alloy.View
- All coins and barsThe complete list of purchase prices per piece.View
- Spot price, premium and spreadWhy you never get back the premium you paid on purchase.View
Questions about selling silver Helvetia (½, 1 and 2 franc)
Up to which year are Swiss francs silver?
Up to and including 1967. From 1968 they are copper-nickel, with the same design.
How much silver is in a Swiss franc?
A silver franc weighs 5 grams and is 835 silver: 4.175 grams of fine silver.
I still have Swiss change from a holiday, is it worth it?
If there are coins from before 1968 among them, it can be. The valuation is free, so do bring them along.
Do I get the newer coins back?
Yes. We do not buy what is not silver; you get it back.
Is your question not listed? Ask it below, call 085 060 3009 or go to contact.
A question about silver Helvetia (½, 1 and 2 franc)?
Ask it here. You will receive a personal reply by email, usually within one working day – no automated message and no phone call you did not ask for.
- An answer from a valuer, not from a template
- We keep your question so that you need not repeat anything
- No sales pitch afterwards
Sources
Where you can verify what you have just read.
- Koninklijke Nederlandse MuntThe mint that struck the Dutch coins and knows their fineness
- De Nederlandsche BankOn the guilder and exchanging old legal tender
- WaarborgHollandThe Dutch assay office that verifies fineness and strikes hallmarks
Have your silver Helvetia (½, 1 and 2 franc) valued?
Free and without obligation, at a location near you.